Government’s double betrayal on air pollution

Publication date: 11th August 2017

The Times reported today that people will lose their right to sue Government for breaking the law under Brexit plans that could see ministers escape censure over air pollution.

 

Anna Ashworth-Jones, Greenpeace UK Clean Air Campaigner, said:

 

“It’s bad enough that Government has failed to meet the EU’s air pollution standards for the last seven years, but preventing people affected from seeking justice is deeply cynical and unfair. It’s a double betrayal. It isn’t taking back control, it’s abdicating responsibility.

 

“No one would dream of giving VW legal immunity from the diesel scandal, so why should ministers be let off the hook? Rather than covering their backs, they should focus their efforts on tackling the UK’s illegal air pollution that’s harming our children’s health so that in future compensation claims won’t even arise.”

 

ENDS